Byford Secondary College – Stage 3

• Operating within a live school environment posed major health and safety challenges. We sequenced construction activities to mitigate safety risks and allow students and staff to fully enjoy and use existing facilities on a daily basis. We coordinated with school staff to ensure works did not disrupt school activities, including quiet time during exams. We also established a separate site entrance and secure gate directly off Abernethy Road to separate construction traffic from school traffic.
• Feature curved voids in the suspended first floor slab were unique to this project. To enable access to high level ceilings above these voids, we formed load bearing temporary decks. These decks remained in place until later in the program to facilitate access in and above the immediate area of these voids.
• Included in the contract was a separable portion to convert the existing Resource Centre into Research Rooms. This involved pre-measuring and pre-ordering materials prior to site access to limit the interruption to the school during the completion of these works. These works were ultimately completed within 4 weeks over the summer school holidays. An existing window was removed and replaced with a new glazed door. As a result, the paving levels externally had to be lifted to suit.

• Curved façade on the south elevation: Three colours of Nuwall aluminium E200 cladding complement bricks elsewhere on the project.
• Cantilevered structural steel framing system on the north elevation, clad in a pre-finished CFC (Student Services entry).
• Window glazing with uniquely patterned decorative glass can be seen on the south elevation (8.5 metres wide by 7.5 metres high). A contemporary interpretation of a rural theme was chosen to reflect the historical land use and physical context beneath the Darling Ranges.

Located on the corner of Abernethy Road and Gordin Way, this bold new architectural school design brings much needed facilities to Byford’s senior students and its growing population.

A key feature of the two storey facility is the light well penetration through the suspended first floor slab that allows the flow of natural light to the ground floor. In the need to create a responsible learning environment, the circulation space that links the formal classrooms has been designed as a ‘collaborative learning precinct’ which in turn allows for student-centred learning.

PACT delivered the project in three phases. Phase One focused on minor interior modifications to the existing 120m² staff common room to increase the usable area of the adjacent library.

The bulk of the works was carried out in Phase Two, starting with preparation works such as sub-soil drainage, car park and entry road construction, fencing, landscaping and path demolition. We also commenced construction of the striking two-storey building.

Phase Three consisted of turf installation and establishment.

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